Model pterosaur to reveal the secrets of prehistoric flight

Artists impression of a pterosaur

By Roger Highfield, Science Editor

12:01AM BST 12 Oct 2005

Scientists have revealed the aerodynamics of the largest-ever flying creatures.

A Cambridge University team that has reconstructed the pterosaur Anhanguera ("Old Devil") is sufficiently confident of its calculations to commission a German model builder to build a 13ft wingspan robo-pterosaur to swoop over Britain this winter.

Although typical wingspans are thought to be around 16ft, pterosaurs flying more than 65 million years ago grew up to 39ft and fossilised footprints recently found in Mexico suggest that these creatures could have been even larger.

Scientists have argued for years about how these giants could fly. But the study published today shows how the biggest pterosaurs were able to fly with wide wings that were also attached to their legs and were adjustable to create more lift.